Most Popular
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Yoon warns North Korea against nuclear attack attempt
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81-year-old model awarded ‘best dressed’ in Miss Universe Korea
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Seoul mayor suggests shift in immigration policy
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'Smart pill'? ADHD treatment prescriptions spike this year
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AI textbook bubble could burst, expert warns
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[KH Explains] Korea pursues ‘fire-free’ batteries amid EV fears
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[Herald Review] One of Netflix's most expensive Korean originals returns, but at what cost?
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Man calls 119, found dead 1 week later because officials went to wrong place
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Food tycoon Paik Jong-won's Theborn Korea pushes toward IPO
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Samsung tightens its belt amid crisis winds
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Seoul suicide rate highest among elderly
The elderly and those living in one of the least affluent districts in Seoul were at the highest risk of taking their own lives, government data showed Sunday. According to Statistics Korea, the suicide rate in Seoul stood at 24.7, meaning 24.7 Seoul residents in 100,000 committed suicide last year, as the nation’s average suicide rate was 27. By age group, Seoul citizens aged 60 or over had the highest suicide rates, with 50.3 seniors taking their own lives last year alone. The suicide rate for
Social AffairsNov. 29, 2015
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Nearing deal with Minnesota Twins, S. Korean slugger Park Byung-ho
Nearing his first big league deal with the Minnesota Twins, South Korean slugger Park Byung-ho departed for the United States on Sunday, saying he's hoping for "a positive result." Park told reporters assembled at Incheon International Airport that he will look to wrap up contract talks and is scheduled to undergo a physical with the Twins, who won the posting bid on Nov.9 with a bid of US$12.85 million. The Twins were awarded a 30-day negotiating window with Park, and the deadline falls at
SportsNov. 29, 2015
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S. Korea activists vow to hold planned protest despite ban
South Korea's major labour group vowed Sunday to hold a massive anti-government protest this week, a day after authorities banned the rally over concerns it could turn violent. The planned demonstration on Saturday follows a major protest earlier this month -- the largest in more than seven years -- that saw police clash with demonstrators. Critics say the conservative government of President Park Geun-Hye, daughter of the late heavy-handed ruler Park Chung-Hee, is slipping back into pas
NationalNov. 29, 2015
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South Korea Grants Kakao, KT-led Groups Online Bank Permits
South Korea gave preliminary approval for two groups -- one from the new economy and another from the old, and both with Chinese partners -- to set up the nation’s first Internet-only banks as the government seeks to reinvigorate a sector suffering from slow growth and slim margins.Kakao Corp., operator of Korea’s leading messaging app KakaoTalk, and KT Corp., the former government phone monopoly, were chosen from a field of three applications. A group headed by online retail operator Interpark
World BusinessNov. 29, 2015
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[Photo News] Millennium Seoul Hilton's Christmas train
(Millennium Seoul Hilton)Children joined Santa Claus, the Millennium Seoul Hilton mascot and hotel employees to see a Christmas train, now in its 20th year of operation, in the hotel’s lobby on Sunday. Over 80 local and international businesses sponsored the Christmas train this year, and all proceeds have been donated to local orphanages and charities. The Christmas tree and train display will be available for viewing until Jan. 17.
CultureNov. 29, 2015
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[Herald Review] BTS continues to ‘Run’ forward with new concert, album
BTS performs their concert “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life On Stage” at the SK Handball Gymnasium in Seoul. (Big Hit Entertainment)The arena at boy band BTS’ concert “BTS Live: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life On Stage” was lit more brightly than most K-pop concerts, and it was clear why.At their first concert in Korea in 11 months, the members of BTS gleefully ran around the main stage and the protruding T-shaped stage as well as the aisles between the audience floors, making it impossible
PerformanceNov. 29, 2015
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[Herald Interview] State-authored textbooks monopolize interpretation of public memory
The South Korean government’s move to publish state-authored textbooks mimics tactics used by countries that attempt to control public memory of the past following their transition from dictatorships to democracies, a leading political theorist said. John Keane, political science professor at the University of Sydney who authored “The Life and Death of Democracy,” stressed that democratic societies must allow people with different viewpoints to debate over different interpretations of history.
PoliticsNov. 29, 2015
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Labor union vows protest regardless of police ban
One of South Korea’s largest umbrella trade unions Sunday vowed to push ahead with its plan to host a mass antigovernment rally on Dec. 5, despite facing heat from the government and the police’s recent ban on a similar demonstration on the same day by a local farmers’ group over concerns about violence.“Our plan to hold the protests remains unchanged, and all responsibilities for events that may take place on Dec. 5 falls on the administration.” said Park Seong-shik, spokesman for the Korean Co
Social AffairsNov. 29, 2015
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[NEWSMAKER] What’s next for late Kim’s ill-fated son?
Kim Hyun-chul, the second son of the late President Kim Young-sam, had a powerful nickname when his father was in office -- “little president.” The junior Kim was said to have been one of the late president’s aides who stood beside him during his years of democratic struggle. After Kim Young-sam entered Cheong Wa Dae, however, Kim Hyun-chul started to peddle influence in various state affairs involving major conglomerates who wanted to reach out to the president. In 1997, as his father’s presi
PoliticsNov. 29, 2015
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Han Sung CEO underscores ‘customer relationships’ in marketing
Marketing -- often understood simply as the act of selling and advertising a product -- is all about managing customer relationships and satisfying customer needs, according to Dr. Ulf Ausprung, CEO of Han Sung Motor, the largest Mercedes-Benz dealer in South Korea. “Marketing means customer relationships, particularly in the fast-expanding South Korean luxury automobile industry,” Dr. Ausprung said during a business lecture Wednesday for students at Korea University. Han Sung Motor CEO Dr. Ulf
MobilityNov. 29, 2015
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Hyosung Group sets sights on super-car business
Hyosung Group, a South Korean industrial conglomerate specializing in textiles, industrial materials and chemicals, has been transforming itself as one of the largest imported car dealers in Korea since it took over Forza Motors Korea, the importer and distributor of Ferrari and Maserati cars, last March. The conglomerate, which has already run dealership businesses for Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Lexus cars, inked 605.9 billion won ($523.6 million) in sales from the business last year. Maserati G
MobilityNov. 29, 2015
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Ahn rejects Moon's call for joint NPAD leadership
The main opposition party’s former leader Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo Sunday rejected the incumbent chairman Moon Jae-in’s request to build a coalition leadership, dealing a blow to Moon’s attempt to unite the embattled party ahead of next year’s general election. Instead, the entrepreneur-turned-politician proposed a plan to select new leadership by holding a party caucus next January and merge with the People’s Reform Party, a newly created opposition party founded by Rep. Chun Jung-bae who defected f
PoliticsNov. 29, 2015
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Hanwha scions push for new growth engines
The third generation of South Korea’s family-controlled Hanwha Group has been raising its visibility in management while leading the group’s new growth engines. The latest move was made by Kim Dong-won, the second son of group chairman Kim Seung-youn, who officially joined Hanwha in 2014. The junior Kim, a digital team leader at Hanwha Life Insurance, has begun to make headway in pushing forward the newly emerging fintech, or finance technology, front.Hanwha Q Cells CCO Kim Dong-kwan (left) and
IndustryNov. 29, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Pianist Barakatt to present ‘visual’ symphony
Canadian pianist and composer Steve Barakatt and the Herald Philharmonic Orchestra are combing forces once again in performance of the musician’s new visually revamped 16-movement symphony “Ad Vitam Aeternam” in January. Canadian pianist and composer Steve Barakatt poses during an interview with The Korea Herald at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul. (Chung Hee-cho/The Korea Herald)Barakatt’s upcoming concert follows the pianist’s previous concert in March, in which he celebrated 20 years since his debut
PerformanceNov. 29, 2015
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Rediscovering the beauty of Korean architecture
The snowy scenery of Buyongji viewed from Yeonghwadang in Changdeokgung Palace by Bae Bein-u (Leeum)A step inside Changdeokgung Palace at the heart of Seoul after sunset and the city of skyscrapers just seems to disappear. Moonlight illuminates Joseon era royal buildings standing harmoniously with the surrounding green and natural formations of gardens that reflect its original terrain. Subtle rays from lamps inside the buildings reveal details in geometric window bar patterns and the balanced b
PerformanceNov. 29, 2015
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N.K. apparently fails submarine missile test
North Korea appears to have failed to launch a ballistic missile from a submarine in yet another provocative action that may escalate tensions on the peninsula, government sources in Seoul said Sunday. The communist state is believed to have tried to fire a KN-11 missile from a submarine in the East Sea between 2:20 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. Saturday, but it stopped short of soaring from the waters, the sources said. Seoul’s Defense Ministry declined to officially confirm the report. “The cover of the
North KoreaNov. 29, 2015
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Jeju base conceived as military-civilian port
JEJUDO ISLAND ― Minutes after the bus drifted down a tote road toward the shore, a glassy cobalt blue ocean unfolded menacingly, with two newly paved, sprawling breakwaters being occupied by a small fleet of naval ships including an Aegis-equipped destroyer and submarines. Following several years of protests and subsequent delays, the Navy is gearing up to introduce a strategic naval base on this scenic island as early as January as part of Seoul’s efforts to shore up its maritime defense. A cap
DefenseNov. 29, 2015
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Demographic challenges undermine Korea’s growth potential
A debate is brewing here over how to cope with demographic challenges that threaten to further undermine the country’s growth potential already being sapped by declining exports and sluggish industrial activities. The number of people aged 15-64 in Korea is set to begin decreasing in 2017 after peaking at 37.04 million next year. The country’s working-age population is forecast to continue to drop to 32.89 million in 2030, 28.87 million in 2040 and 21.86 million in 2060, according to data from t
IndustryNov. 29, 2015
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Hyundai’s ‘Going Home’ video reaches over 10m views on YouTube
Hyundai Motor Group announced Sunday that its “Going Home” campaign video, which was posted Friday, has already reached over 10 million views on YouTube.The video shows an elderly man who left what is now North Korea during the Korean War (1950-53) experiencing a virtual drive through his homeland via a digital restoration using 3-D video technology.The video, produced in separate Korean and English versions, saw positive reactions both domestically and abroad, as each reached over 5.4 million v
IndustryNov. 29, 2015